Nine Month Bumpdate // {Baby #4}

Well, this is it! The final bumpdate for my final pregnancy. What a feeling of coming full circle.

Maternity + Family pictures 2021

This will possibly come as a shocker but we have never had professional family pictures taken before. My mom was our Christmas card photog back home and I do everything else so this was quite the experience! Aunt Cindy gifted us this session with the lovely Rifka of Rifka Jensen Photography.

Eight Month Bumpdate // {Baby #4}

Somehow I skipped a month, oops! I guess it was bound to happen at some point 😅

Sweet Slumber with Figure 8 Moms // Tips + tricks for 3rd trimester sleep {Baby #4}

This post is sponsored by Figure 8 Moms. As always all opinions are my own. 

Anyone else struggling for sleep these days? Granted I have a very good excuse as to why my zzzz's haven't been their best and that is all due to being seven months pregnant. That dreaded third trimester sleep slump is upon me. 

Naming our Son {Baby #3}

If this baby boy had been born 6.5 years ago he would have had a very different name. And isn't that funny? How much our preferences change? Before we found out that Kinsey was a girl we had our boy name settled: Braylen Gary- a "B" name to honor Brian and Gary after my papa. 

We can't really put our finger on why we won't be using that name now it just isn't our ideal son's name so without further ado: 

CLARK AUSTEN

will be oh so shortly joining our family!

"Clark" fulfills a few favorites. Brian's love for Superman lore and my adoration for surnames as first names (and 2/3 of our kids now boast them.)

"Austen" has always been a name I've liked. In Kindergarten a boy had that name and though I didn't give a hoot about that boy, his name always resonated with me. 

A couple of friends, Courtney and Stephanie actually asked if this was a homage to Jane Austen and yes it is, but only in spelling :) #bookloverforlife

For the longest time we were torn between order- Austen Clark or Clark Austen but then I had a dream (as always haha) that someone yelled "Clark" and I thought, "that's my son's name." And that was that.

So there you have all the nitty gritty (and maybe a touch of fan boy/girl) details of how we named our son!

Linking up here.

   

   

Month 9 final Bumpdate {Baby Boy}

How far along: THIRD Trimester :: Weeks 36- 40

Size of baby: 38 weeks is a winter melon

Weight gain: And the final weigh in tops the scales at 36 pounds gained; Same amount as I gained with Kinsey but feels like so much more. I'm not upset with gaining the weight, it's where the weight has distributed (lower body- legs & thighs) that has me feeling bad; that is not going to burn itself off and working out/dieting is not in my nature, lol. 

Maternity clothes: Still rocking the same old things and feeling less than stellar. 

Gender: boy!

Movement: So much! Which is funny because he's definitely running out of space in there! 

Sleep: I've been so tired lately, going to bed early has been a priority. But once I lay down, the fun begins. I get upset stomach instantly and then my back and hips hurt. Thankfully once I fall asleep it's sound.  

What I miss: Feeling comfortable in my clothes. Sleeping on my back and stomach. Being able to tie my shoes, shave my legs, heck, just being able to see my feet!

Cravings: All the fruit! 

Symptoms: The need for TUMS has been exponential which has me thinking maybe this boy has some hair after all?

Highlight of the Month: This will be my last bumpdate!! I am relishing the movements and the feel of the last baby growing within my body but am really looking forward to holding him earth-side. 

Today is also my hospital pre-admin and probably my first physical to check dilation and I'm definitely curious what that will show! 

I have been so extremely lucky winning baby giveaways this week that I joked it should end with me having a baby, well that hasn't happened (yet) but the odds are definitely in my favor ;)

Saturday my mom and MIL are throwing me a little sprinkle so that will be sweet day and the last hurrah before little man's arrival!

Linking up here.

   

   

Freshly Picked Moccasins for our Dapper Little Dude {Baby #3} + Giveaway

My love for Freshly Picked moccasins is no secret around here (or here or here!) and when I became pregnant I knew I had to have a pair of itty bitty moccs for the new babe. Thanks to Freshly Picked for sending baby boy a pair of moccasins. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase using one I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my blog!

When baby became Baby Brother I really got into finding the perfect pair for him! In the last few months Freshly Picked has introduced two new styles of moccasins, the City Moccs without fringe around the ankles and the Penny Loafer no fringe and a cute "penny holder" detail that are pure perfection for the dapper little dudes in your life!

I am so smitten with the Penny Loafer style, the classic look in quality leather sized just for new baby feet, that it makes my heart positively melt.

I have a set aesthetic when it comes to our son's wardrobe (give me all the gray neutrals, black and whites/creams, stripes and a few pops of bright poppy) and these slate penny loafer moccs will go with everything!

So now we just wait until our baby boy makes his appearance and when he does (three weeks and counting!) he will be our last babe to make his first shoes Freshly Picked moccasins.

***Head over to my Instagram to enter to win a pair of Freshly Picked moccasins of your very own!***

Linking up here.

   

   

Baby Boy Buys // Baby #3

I have been slowly filling up Baby Brother's dresser with all the tiny things and I just had to share some of my favorite buys. I'm not one to spend a lot of money haphazardly but when quality and craftsmanship (and good customer service!) collide plus throw in a good sale, I can't pass up those deals!

L'oved Baby

This organic baby clothes and gear company was started by a mom whose own mother was diagnosed with breast cancer around the time she was pregnant with her first child. After researching the benefits of breastfeeding Sharon made a commitment to nurse and made her first nursing cover, which evolved into L'oved Baby. The apostrophe is so clever as "Oved" is Sharon's last name (I'm a huge sucker for special little details like that!) I love this company's baby clothes and have had so much fun waiting for their Big-Find Thursday sale each week where a certain color or item of baby clothes is featured and you're sent 3-4 pieces for only $40!

Right now I'm hosting a giveaway on Instagram to win a $30 shop credit to L'oved Baby!

Modern Burlap

Full confession- I never really got the hang of swaddling my babies. Brian is a pro and Kinsey was swaddled up for the first two months of her life. But come Brielana, she hated feeling confined and all the swaddle blankets seemed unnecessary after that. Well, in an attempt to get some longer stretches of sleep, I'm going to try my hand at swaddling again and when I came across Modern Burlap's beautiful designs, it definitely solidified my want for swaddlers. I didn't realize how much the black and white patterns really resonated with me but when my eyes fell upon this Jeremiah 29:11 verse swaddle, I wanted to cry and immediately purchased it (it's on sale still!) because this verse is my touchstone and it was meant to be. Plus, if the whole swaddling thing doesn't happen to work out, I can always use this as a wall hanging!! 

source

June & January

I've become a tad bit obsessed lately because I've absolutely have fallen in love with their color "poppy" (a reddish orange color) and just can't get enough! J&J specializes in basic children's pieces, think solid, striped and dotted prints that can be mixed and matched to create several different looks with just a few pieces. Right now I'm anxiously awaiting their new Baby release so I can complete little misters coming-home outfit!

PS- if you shop through my referral link you can get 15% off your first $50 purchase! 

Am I missing out on any fun and unique baby boy shops? Let me know what your favorites are so I can check them out!

Linking up here.